


R&R

by Domingo Ocelot (docelot)



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-20
Packaged: 2018-03-02 08:53:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2806736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/docelot/pseuds/Domingo%20Ocelot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rocket and Groot get some much needed R&R after the events of the movie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	R&R

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Liviania](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liviania/gifts).



“What do you mean, a break? What kind of break?”

“We just saved the galaxy, Quill. You know? We’re simple guys. That kind of thing’s a little over our heads. Not to mention I’m not really used to being covered in purple fire. Kinda hurts. Groot needs to regrow, and him and me need some time to figure out if we’re gonna do this thing.”

“I thought you’d follow my lead?” Peter Quill’s tone was wounded, though no more wounded than he’d fully intended.

“Hey, Gamora speaks for herself, not for Groot and me. We’ll be in touch.”

\---

Rocket sat at his desk, or what in his case passed for a desk in the alcove that passed for his quarters aboard the Milano; it hadn't really been designed for as many people as were now calling it home. /Getting about time for a bigger ship/, he thought, as he idly flicked his way through some likely-looking vacation spots.

"Hey, check this out, Groot," he said, sitting upright and leaning forward. "Some kind of super-fertile planet. Archer Prime. Says anything planted there grows super-fast. We could have you back to full size in no time, buddy."

"I am Groot," Groot replied affably, in a higher and squeakier voice than normal; he hadn't had much time to regrow since being all but destroyed in the crash of the Dark Aster, though he'd taken his current potbound existence pretty well.

"Yeah, I dunno, I don't think it's dangerous. Or at least it doesn't say anything about it being dangerous."

"I am Groot."

"Well, yeah, okay, so the tourist bureau wrote the article. I think it's still worth at least checking out!"

* * *

This was how Rocket and Groot found themselves stepping down onto the tarmac at Archer Prime's one and only spaceport a week later.

“I thought there’d be more to it, you know? The net made it sound all glamorous.”

“I am Groot,” said Groot, and while Rocket didn’t actually see Groot roll his eyes, he was certainly left with that impression. It wasn’t a very glamorous place, but there was a ramshackle settlement and some kind of beach resort. In Rocket’s experience, ramshackle settlements were usually full of ramshackle people and ramshackle people usually liked to gamble, but a meaningful look from Groot had them hailing the local cab-equivalent (which was motorized but not much more) for a ride to the resort.

* * *

“This is the life, eh, buddy?” Rocket stretched out on a lounge that had clearly been patched several times and was looking forward to several more patchings in its sordid life. Groot, meanwhile, luxuriated, if truly a tree can be said to luxuriate, sinking roots into the sand to find the soil far beneath.

“Getcha something, sugar?” An attendant who might have been transplanted from any greasy spoon diner in the galaxy cast her shadow over Rocket, who ordered “something strong, surprise me”.

“I am Groot,” said Groot, and Rocket began, “He’d like a-“

He was cut off by the waitress. “Margarita? Sure thing, honey. Rocks or blended?”

“I am Groot,” replied Groot.

“Rocks it is. Be right back with your drinks, fellas.” Rocket gawped at her retreating back, and Groot merely offered an enigmatic smile. She was indeed back soon, and Rocket set right into his drink while Groot curled a woody hand around his and sipped at it somewhat awkwardly, the glass still being on the large side for his diminished size.

“Feelin’ good, buddy?” asked Rocket, licking violently-blue droplets of something from his whiskers. “You look good. This place treatin’ you okay, then?”

Groot was indeed looking good, and had Rocket not passing one sheet to the wind and rapidly moving toward two, he would’ve noticed that Groot had gained fully half again his original size.

“I am Groot,” Groot agreed cheerfully, and Rocket turned back to his drink, polishing it off quickly and acquiring and draining three more in the space of fifteen minutes, at which point he slumped down onto his lounge and had what may charitably be described as a “nap”.

* * *

Upon regaining consciousness, Rocket had an immediate feeling of apprehension. “Thought this was supposed to be a sunny place. Seems kinda shady now. Hey, Groot, you-“

He paused. He looked up. He looked much further up, in fact, than he had expected to need to.

“I AM GROOT,” said Groot from further above Rocket’s head than he ever had before, towering fully thirty feet tall, though his slightly-bashful smile was less than intimidating.

“Oh, man, Groot. What the hell happened to you? We’re never gonna get you back on the ship like that. You’ll have to…”

Groot, at this point, had extracted his roots from the sand and was wandering off, clearly having seen something of interest in the distance. He moved surprisingly quickly, or perhaps unsurprisingly quickly considering his size.

“Hey, buddy! Where y’goin’? Wait up!”

What Groot had found turned out to be some sort of oasis. Sheltered by a ring of large trees, an array of colorful plants had grown up around a clear blue pool, tended by darting blue insects of alarming size. Groot had settled himself in a crouch next to the pool, roots sunk into the ground next to it, a beatific expression on his face.

“Wow, this is some kinda… huh, I wonder if this has something to do with the fertility of the soil.”

Groot was growing no larger by this point, but he had burst out in an array of tiny, colorful buds.

“Kinda feel like I’m intruding on your personal moment here, buddy…”

Groot didn’t respond. His eyes slowly closed, and he slowly smiled, the widest smile Rocket had ever seen grace his craggy face.

“Groot, we should get going here, buddy… maybe get some dinner, think about when we’re gonna head back to the ship…”

Groot’s continued lack of response touched something deep in Rocket’s brain.

“Man, I swear. Everyone’s got somewhere to belong, don’t they? ‘long as you’re not, you know, vermin.”

Rocket turned slowly about and began to walk out of the oasis.

“I am Groot.” A shadow fell over him; Groot had moved from his place next to the pool.

“You know, maybe this is where you belong, buddy. You can commune with the other plants and…”

“I am Groot!” Groot’s tone brooked no argument, and Rocket let himself settle back into a hint of a smile.

“Too much of a danger to myself alone, eh? Okay. You’ve got an hour. I need to find another one of those blue things and kill a few more brain cells anyway. How we're gonna get you back down to ship size, though, damned if I know."


End file.
